Old Gu Six noticed those seven people staring at him, drooling.
No, they were drooling at his mule.
What kind of taste did these people have? Wasn't he better looking than a mule?
Chang'an interjected: "That's not the point. Isn't the main issue that they want to eat our mule?"
The seven people suddenly stood up and ran towards Old Gu Six. As they got closer, he could finally see them clearly. Each of their faces was as pale as paper, even their lips were white.
They rushed straight towards the mule as if Old Gu Six wasn't even there.
Just as they were about to pounce, a wave of energy threw the seven people three meters away, landing them on the ground.
The Purple Dragon in Old Gu Six's consciousness awoke again, "You can't handle these people. Let your daughter take care of them."
"If I can't handle them, how do you think my frail, helpless daughter could?" He wanted to bash this stupid dragon's head in, though he probably couldn't beat it.
Purple Extreme rolled its eyes, "Your so-called frail, helpless daughter is much more useful than you. Let her strike them down with lightning."
Old Gu Six thought of Oldest Gu and his family. "...Her lightning can't kill people," but it could make them wish they were dead.
"Impossible, back in the day..." Purple Extreme suddenly stopped mid-sentence, changed tack and said: "Those seven aren't human. Her lightning will work on them."
Old Gu Six's interest was piqued. He asked excitedly: "Not human? Then what are they? Demons or ghosts? Do such things really exist in this world? Does that mean I might be able to see my wife again?"
Purple Extreme: "...They're all ghosts. They've possessed human bodies. And where did you get a wife from? See her? Dream on."
The dragon was getting increasingly irritated!!
"Bah! You're the one without a wife. If I didn't have a wife, where did my daughter come from, you stupid dragon?"
Purple Extreme took a deep breath. No point arguing with a brainless creature. The important thing needed to be said three times!!!
"If you don't call Chang'an to act now, they'll eat your mule and then possess you."
Old Gu Six: Shock!!!
Sure enough, those seven had already gotten up from the ground and were pouncing again.
"Daughter, daughter, save the mule's life!"
Chang'an lifted the carriage curtain and looked out. Huh? These people?
Puzzled as she was, her action was not slow. Lightning descended from the sky, leaving the seven smoking.
Just as Chang'an was about to stop, Old Gu Six urgently said: "Strike them again!"
Chang'an obediently complied. After two rounds of lightning strikes, the seven were charred like coal.
Purple Extreme sighed softly. It was just as Old Six had said—even after two strikes, the people were merely charred on the outside and raw inside. Chang'an's lightning was developing in an unpredictable direction.
It had thought the strikes would obliterate their souls, but it seemed its intervention was still needed.
The seven ghost souls now didn't dare leave their bodies, fearing they'd be struck by lightning if they emerged.
But whether they wanted to leave or not wasn't up to them. A flash of purple light passed by, and the seven ghosts were instantly obliterated, not even having time to make a sound before they vanished.
Then Old Gu Six saw several more purple flashes enter the foreheads of the dozen or so people huddled together.
Of course, only Old Gu Six and Chang'an could see all this. Those dozen people felt nothing, just a moment of dizziness. They looked at the unrecognizable charred remains on the ground, confused.
Were these seven the ones who had been enslaving them? What had just happened?
"I've erased the part of their memory where they saw the lightning. Everything's resolved now. Don't bother me unless it's important. Go play by yourselves," Purple Extreme said before closing its dragon eyes.
It was then startled by a loud shout from Old Gu Six.
"Don't sleep yet!"
"What now?" Purple Extreme raised a claw, then quietly put it back down. It had already been stupid enough; another fight might mean failing to overcome this tribulation.
"Are there other ghosts in this world?"
"Of course there are. Those who remain in the mortal realm either have unresolved grievances or were evil to begin with. The Taoists in this world are powerful beings, you needn't fear."
It suddenly remembered something and added: "Don't keep thinking about nonsense. You can't see your wife anymore, give up."
Old Gu Six: "...But I'll be able to see her when I die, right?"
"Heh, you won't see her even when you die. Don't be so greedy."
Old Gu Six took a deep breath, suppressing his urge to eat dragon meat. He didn't bother Purple Extreme any further.
He thought that this world was developing in a strange direction. It was truly eye-opening, like a small knife cutting a buttocks.
The mule had been frightened by what just happened. Old Gu Six didn't need to urge it on; it took off running on its own.
The mule thought: Scared to death! Almost became a dish on the table.
Chang'an waited for the mule to slow down before she walked out of the carriage and sat beside Old Gu Six, tilting her head and calling out: "Father?"
Old Gu Six immediately understood. He cleared his throat and said: "Those seven weren't human. I couldn't beat them, so I needed you, my daughter, to protect me and the mule."
"Oh," so physical exorcism didn't work, and magical exorcism was needed!
"Father, do you want to learn Taoism?"
"Is it easy to learn? Is it tiring?"
Old Six's focus was, as always, unique.
Chang'an rubbed her chin, "In this world, only lying flat is not tiring. The easiest thing to learn is how to be a bad person."
"Your father is too old to learn. Why don't you go learn, daughter?" If his daughter learned it, it would be as good as him knowing it. Having his daughter's protection would work just as well.
"I might have inherited more of your genes. I'm not cut out for studying," expecting someone who couldn't even understand art class to learn how to draw talismans? Keep dreaming.
Father and daughter sighed in unison!
Alas!!!
A group of horsemen passed by them, led by a young man in blue brocade clothes, whip in hand.
Chang'an climbed back into the carriage. There was too much dust outside, not suitable for getting some air.
In the afternoon, they passed by a village and witnessed a scene of a father chasing his son with a thin rod. The child was running ahead, crying, while the man pursued him.
Just as the man was about to catch up, the child cried harder and sped up. Chang'an wanted to get off the cart and help the man hold the child down so he couldn't run.
The beating he'd get would probably make him cry even harder than he was now!
Old Gu Six had similar thoughts. If it were him, the child wouldn't have made it past the doorstep.
The mule cart slowed down a bit. Father, daughter, and even the mule all wanted to know: would the father be able to catch his son today?
Unfortunately, the child's mother came running out of the house, caught the father, and gave him a beating instead. The child escaped punishment.
The child's father stopped Old Gu Six and said, "Brother, the road ahead was washed out by the river half a month ago. It hasn't been repaired yet. You'd better take the mountain path on the side of the village."
Old Gu Six narrowed his phoenix eyes, his gaze darkening as he looked at the middle-aged man. Just as he was about to speak, he noticed more than a dozen horsemen who had been galloping wildly were now heading back.
Oh, never mind then. The big brother is a good person after all.
A misunderstanding! A misunderstanding!
He clasped his hands together and laughed heartily, "Thank you for informing me, big brother."
The man waved his hand dismissively and headed home, carrying the stick specially used for beating naughty children.
Old Gu Six drove his mule cart to the side of the road, allowing the group of horsemen to pass first. He then leisurely turned his mule around and waited until the group had gone far before slowly making his way towards the small path.
